Stevenage Swimming Club had their revenge on local rivals Hertford by regaining the Badger Trophy which they lent to them in 2007! Having been narrowly beaten by Hertford in the last trophy competition, the team produced a top drawer performance to rega

Stevenage Swimming Club had their revenge on local rivals Hertford by regaining the Badger Trophy which they 'lent' to them in 2007!

Having been narrowly beaten by Hertford in the last trophy competition, the team produced a top drawer performance to regain the trophy which Stevenage has held for three of the last four years.

The team, made up from both seasoned and inexperienced swimmers from nine years up, produced many victories and a cohesive performance.

Many of the team had also been in action two weeks earlier at the Isabel Trophy Competition at Hatfield.

The competition among the local teams is unusual in that it is held in the older 33 yard town pool, making just about every swim a personal best over the distance for the competitors.

At the end of the gala, Stevenage finished in a deserved second place overall with a new talent on show.

Coach Greg Lasenby was thrilled with all performances in both galas.

The swimmers who competed in one or both galas were selected from the following:

Girls: Katie Heasman, Kerry Lander, Laura Durrant, Carina Bays, Olivia Hazell, Lucy Crocker, Georgia Hazell, Isobel Dunnicliffe, Milly Farmer, Fiona Thornton, Lucy Lapham, Zoe Buckley, Grace O'Neil, Laura Copping, Emma Stewart, Danielle Murphy, Emily Gasston, Heather Fossey, Ellie Fogg, Leah Littlechild, Kirsty Hamshere, and Sian Higgins.

Boys: Jack Steel, Shaun Dempsey, Bradley Stewart, Jake Robinson, Henry Farman, Joe Lacey, Austin Shaw, David Spicer, Simon Herbeck, Matthew Costello, Jack Morton, Jamie McPherson, Kieran McGowan, Liam Eagland, Andrew Matthews, Ewan Fewell, Daniel Streeter, Luke Ames, Max Robinson, and Matthew Dymond.

* Letchworth Sharks finished a fantastic third in the BDSC Commemorative Shield in Milton Keynes on Saturday.

Newport Pagnell were the eventual winners, just edging out Leighton Buzzard and the Sharks with Bletchley and Aylesbury trailing behind.

Michael Hardy was deservedly the swimmer of the gala for smashing the boys' 16 years freestyle club record and being part of the victorious 16 years' relay team with Sebastian deTrafford, Ryan Murphy and Tom Plater who also set a new club record.

The winning swimmers in a competitive meet were Erin Tomlin and Holly Marshall in backstroke, plus James Thomson and Ricky Cortis in freestyle, James and Ricky setting new personal best times.

Others lowering their personal times were Arthur Thomson, Ricky Cortis and Imogen deTrafford (backstroke), Ryan Murphy (breaststroke), Ben R Taylor and Tom Plater (butterfly), Lucy Palmer and Jack Ward (freestyle) and Holly Marshall and Ben Taylor (individual medley).